Already last week seems like a year ago. Things have changed fast - for all of us. I’m aware of everything going on around us, and so are you.
I’m going to leave this blog as it always is—about writing. There’s plenty of
other information elsewhere.
Last week I said “Stay tuned next week, when I introduce you
to a man who writes mostly fiction, but just came out with his first book of
poetry in years, is a voracious reader, and a huge inspiration to both Jeff and
I.”
On that note, I’d like to introduce you to Frank Reardon.
Frank is a Facebook friend as well as a personal inspiration. Jeff and Rich are
my trusted readers. Frank is Jeff’s trusted book critic. He’s my trusted poetry
and fiction inspiration.
 |
| Frank Reardon |
Jeff says “What attracts me to Frank’s literary interests is
his appreciation for well-written gritty stories, not simply excellent
story-telling by the authors, but the poetic strength of their writing that
gives me a redoubled appreciation for the novels Frank recommends. When he
posts a book recommendation on Facebook, I almost always check the book out
myself and see if I can read a few paragraphs online with the Amazon reader
feature.”
Needless to say, we have a lot of poetry and fiction in our
house. I’m sure all delivery services have our address on “replay”…Every time
we open the door there’s a bunch of “stuff”. Just the way we like it.
Frank is a 99% fiction writer, but every once in awhile the
extra 1% sneaks in. He just published his first book of poetry in years, “Loud Love on the Sevens and Elevens.” 76 pages of working-class poetry, dedicated to “those
of you who punch the clock, work the line, and roll the dice.” Full disclosure, this book was published by
Blue Horse Press, i.e., Jeff and I. But Jeff doesn’t just publish books for
friends, just like Rich doesn’t; these poems are stunning gut-punches of poems.
And God bless these people, who may not be working at all in these troubled
times.
Something about the way Frank writes and writes about his own jobs inspires me to write poetry and fiction over and over. I’ve talked
about this before—how I’ll be smack in the middle of reading something and I
have to put it down and go write? I don’t question it. I’m grateful for the
inspiration!
Landlady #1
It’s a particular shade of pink
carbon dated with years
of stale coffee and cigarette
smoke.
It’s a pink that invites shuffling,
television in the background
and old ledgers on the
plastic-covered
kitchen table.
Somewhere in the blue sequins
of the flickering across her eyes
she hates her reduction to light
bulbs
and plungers, and “you’re two
days late, when am I going
to get my check?” It sounds
like the old days.
It sounds like women she hears
on the bus, and she was one
of them once. Christ,
three kids and a cell phone
but no money for milk.
The butcher saves bones
for her watery soup. How does
a life become so small?
23 one-bedrooms stacked
like empty blocks and hers,
number 24, vacant
as a ghost ship in moonlight.
Nothing but the crossword
and furled calendar
to keep her counsel, her hands
dusted with time and words.
It may seem the butcher played a small part in this, but
actually, it melded right into stories my grandmother told me about her life after
my grandfather passed. We all know there’s at least a tiny bit of truth in most
poetry—this is a perfect example.
I’ll spare you my completely made-up 960- word piece of
short fiction about a butcher whose girlfriend was a vegetarian. That piece I
100% could NOT have written without Frank’s inspiration.
Trusted readers are people who help us with our own work.
This could include suggestions about all kinds of things, from title changes,
to words that are just stepping on the verge of being clichés, to dropping that
last stanza—the one you had to write but shouldn’t publish. Trusted readers
don’t have to write like we do, they just have to have good eyes, and not be
offended when we only take 80% of their suggestions. But anything they point
out is probably a place you need to consider. Either re-write it, drop-kick it,
or leave it as is. It’s your work.
Trusted critics are like human versions of the Amazon
reviews I’m always reminding you to write. If you have similar tastes in words,
music, movies and beloved Amazon crime dramas, they are a goldmine of helpful
information. They are a walking “wishlist”. Treasure them.
Trusted inspirations? I personally can’t explain what
triggers me, but I’m so thankful that I have those people and those moments in
my life. I hope you do too.
Dear Readers, things I’ve learned from Facebook posts this
week are along with everything else, make sure you have enough coffee, kitty
litter, and enough chocolate. The jury’s out on Spam. My mom says to rinse your
mouth several times a day with an antibacterial wash, and yes, gin counts.
Take good care. Be safe and write well. Artists—make sure
you have tons of supplies. If you’re going to participate in any online open
mics, practice reading out loud. Look up, and as FrancEye once told me,
“E-nunc-i-ate!” xo
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Tobi Alfier's most recent collection of poetry is Slices Of Alice. She is also co-editor with Jeff Alfier of the San Pedro River Review. Don't miss Tobi's columns on the craft of poetry: insert your email address in the "Follow By Email" box to the right of this article and you'll be notified every time a new article appears.
